tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6270815429299703055.post4843439728905515926..comments2023-09-29T06:32:16.005-04:00Comments on My School Committee Blog: Why I'm Going to Vote "YES" on the Motion to Close Marks MeadowCatherine A. Sandersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03523667921190365891noreply@blogger.comBlogger31125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6270815429299703055.post-49679782618248524242009-05-19T23:00:45.310-04:002009-05-19T23:00:45.310-04:00It's not the demographics of the student/parent po...It's not the demographics of the student/parent population at MM OR the building that makes MM so successful. MM is a community. It's like a small village representing countries from all over the world. We live around each other, many of us are members of the same community supported agriculture farm, and we're cozy enough to know each other and each others' children on a first-name basis. Children feel comfortable and at home there. Ask the students of MM how they feel about their school and they will tell you that they love it. The quality of learning taking place at MM is not a result of "educated parents" solely, because Amherst is full of that already. It is the very close sense of community fostered at MM that makes it such an ideal, and safe learning environment.<br /><br />I'm not sure where the # of free/reduced lunch children should trump the percentage, but? I also fail to understand why we would put the most successful school first on the chopping block if we so very much believe in Amherst in the value of education and diverse community.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6270815429299703055.post-88421582430562991942009-05-19T21:46:17.748-04:002009-05-19T21:46:17.748-04:00The deans don't teach but they do work directly wi...The deans don't teach but they do work directly with students. They do not have the same supervisory responsibilities that building administrators do and they are school year rather than full year employees.<br /><br />The administrative team at the high school consists of the principal, the assistant principals, and the athletic director. There is also an administrator for each of the alternative programs, South Amherst and ESAH.<br /><br />Given what the administrators are expected to do, I don't think there are too many of them. When we lose an assistant principal next year, it will indeed be a loss. There are some things that won't get done. For me personally, I like to be able to go to an administrator with an idea or a concern, run it by him or her, and get some feedback and advice. I find it helpful.<br /><br />In my experience, administrators work very hard. You can find them in the building at all kinds of odd hours trying to catch up on correspondence because during the school day they have lots of meetings and other tasks to attend to.<br /><br />Sometimes the people who think we have too many administrators are the same people who will complain when something doesn't get done as quickly or as thoroughly as they want it. I've seen emails that say things like "I don't understand why this can't be done immediately." Well, the person you sent that to probably gets at least a hundred emails a day. Did you expect yours to be the highest priority?<br /><br />So, if people really do feel that we have too many administrators, then they should be prepared to lower their expectations when they interact with the school.Nina Kochhttp://www.arps.org/users/hs/kochn/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6270815429299703055.post-59500573320959876182009-05-19T16:47:00.000-04:002009-05-19T16:47:00.000-04:00Abbie: Yes you’re right there are 2x Deans. I don’...Abbie: Yes you’re right there are 2x Deans. I don’t know if back 2 years ago they were lumped into the 7 guidance or not. This was all given to me by Bill Wherli back then (used to be a Vice Principal). Anyways don’t go by my numbers, it’s just for illustration. We need the real numbers and it’s unbelievable that that you can just go find them on an org chart somewhere. <br /><br />Catherine: Yes I would be happy to volunteer, but only if people in the school system will give me answers. I can show you tons of emails trying to get this info from Jere Hochman two years ago and I got nowhere – the guy who liked to say “yes” when he really meant “go away and don’t bother me”. Finally I went directly to ARHS and ARMS people – not enough time to do elementary - and I was never totally sure if I was given the right numbers. It was also made difficult because they have these weird categories for school employees all to do with what kind of contract they have that means nothing to the general public. It took me a while to sort that out. <br /><br />But this is about the most basic thing one can imagine and why ARPS can just do this is beyond me. You don’t want something like this coming from me, it should be official. <br /><br />This is an example of one specific thing that SC could tell the new super to do – and I mean do it or else. If we pay $158k and can’t even get that then I will vote against the next override too.Rick Hoodhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04347110422224233217noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6270815429299703055.post-16566365701084724552009-05-19T15:41:00.000-04:002009-05-19T15:41:00.000-04:00aren't there also 2 Deans in the HS? Shouldn't th...aren't there also 2 Deans in the HS? Shouldn't those be considered admin? Or do they teach?Abbiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02989627808442831131noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6270815429299703055.post-87068959526466254122009-05-19T15:32:00.000-04:002009-05-19T15:32:00.000-04:00My thoughts:
Rich - thanks for your thoughts. I ...My thoughts:<br /><br />Rich - thanks for your thoughts. I agree that closing MM is the first step but NOT the only step in demonstrating a fiscally responsible SC and school administration. We need to earn back the trust of parents and the community. This is a good place to start -- and I do think the "pain" is still relatively minimal -- I continue to believe that ALL of our elementary schools are GOOD, and will be even better if we can save $700,000 by closing MM.<br /><br />Anonymous 11:29 - I can't speak to the town, DPW, etc., but I know there is that perception about the schools. And perception matters (that is, in fact, what my research is on). We need to figure out whether our schools ARE top-heavy (I don't know the answer to this yet, for myself), and then either (a) reduce the top-heaviness, or (b) communicate clearly and transparently to the community why we need the administrators we have. That is the job of the SC, and we should be doing this better than we are doing it now. I will work on this.<br /><br />Rick - I agree with much of what you said - but one key correction -- as of next year, the HS is down to TWO assistant principals (less top-heavy), so re-run your %! I agree that we do need SOME administrative structure -- to have horizontal and vertical alignment in our curriculum, we need people who are overseeing that -- and evaluating how well what we are doing is working at a broader level. I also think the SC needs to do a MUCH better job of showing how our school looks in terms of adminstration to other school districts ... I share your frustration -- and as a SC, it also drives me nuts. And I promise to look into this issue ummm, any chance you want to volunteer to do some looking into this?!?Catherine A. Sandersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03523667921190365891noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6270815429299703055.post-39639163555601490992009-05-19T14:07:00.000-04:002009-05-19T14:07:00.000-04:00I agree with Rich and Anon 11:29 in terms of what ...I agree with Rich and Anon 11:29 in terms of what the perception is. But I don’t agree that the answer is cutting administration without actually seeing exactly why there is too much administration and exactly who you say should be cut. <br /><br />Every entity has administration, part of which is management. The school system has, I believe, 600 total employees (full and part time). That is a large entity and one would expect that it needs some amount of administration to manage and provide support to both its employees and its students. <br /><br />I am most familiar with ARHS where last I looked (2 years ago) they had 185 FTE (full time equivalents) employees. That is not a small operation either. Administrative people were:<br /><br />Principal<br />Asst Principal Student Support<br />Asst Principal Special Education<br />Asst Principal Teacher Support<br />Athletic Director<br />10 clerical<br />7 guidance<br /><br />I’m not sure I would call guidance “administrative” as they are really more like teachers of sorts, but whatever.<br /><br />So, the total of the above is 22 people out of 185 total, which is 12%. If you take out guidance its 8%.<br /><br />Is 12% too much? Is 8%? That is not immediately obvious to me.<br /><br />It drives me nuts that the School Committee does not show what the numbers are and how they compare to other schools. One would think they would want to show some facts to counter the perception, but no that’s asking too much. <br /><br />This perception has been out there forever and I just don’t see the SC doing anything decent to counter it, which both frustrating and amazingly dumb.Rick Hoodhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04347110422224233217noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6270815429299703055.post-12116617341553804762009-05-19T11:29:00.000-04:002009-05-19T11:29:00.000-04:00Rich,
You state that "I believe that seniors in to...Rich,<br />You state that "I believe that seniors in town no longer are convinced that their tax dollars are spent wisely in the schools." I would not limit the view to "seniors". Nor would I to "schools". The top heavy school bureaucracy, as well as that found in Town Hall and the DPW, is criminal. Add to that the budgeting expense accounts and numerous vehicles paid for by our tax dollars and you will not find any support for an override. Not even among non-seniors.<br /><br />I believe that Mr. Greenebaum raised interesting concepts. Always one who thinks outside the box, I wish he would contribute more to these discussions.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6270815429299703055.post-16722661305925360782009-05-18T22:58:00.000-04:002009-05-18T22:58:00.000-04:00The only way to get an override passed is to carry...The only way to get an override passed is to carry the burden of proof for one with senior citizens in town. They are not only the ones that man the polls on election day, they serve in very disproportionate numbers in Town Meeting and they vote in similarly disproportionate numbers at the polls. They've heard words before, the crisis talk doesn't register any more; it's actions that matter to them. <br /><br />I believe that seniors in town no longer are convinced that their tax dollars are spent wisely in the schools. I believe that that is a fairly recent development. It's all a matter of perception, but there's a growing image problem for the current generation of parents that they will never be satisfied with the schools. And the notion that the schools are top-heavy with administrators has been and still is THE conventional wisdom, despite the sincere fervor of School Committee members in talking back to it.<br /><br />I believe that Catherine is right that very visible demonstrations have to be made that the School Committee is looking for savings in school budgets. The compensation for the new Superintendent was a setback in that regard, but we've been over that. Closing a school that has been so important for so many parents and children is extremely painful. But it's the will to create that kind of pain that voters, especially our senior voters, seem to be demanding from elected leaders before even thinking about going along with another override. So here we are.<br /><br />Rich MorseAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6270815429299703055.post-54428798678492830562009-05-18T21:48:00.000-04:002009-05-18T21:48:00.000-04:00My responses:
Anonymous 8:44 - I believe some of ...My responses:<br /><br />Anonymous 8:44 - I believe some of those reports were frankly written to build a case to the state to give us money to renovate WW and FR ... but I believe there are other cases in which teachers prefer to work individually or in small groups with kids in more or a private area (e.g., not a classroom, but a small office). There are NOT grade-level classes being taught in hallways or closets. There may be intervention services offered in such a way, but again, that has to do with privacy, quiet, etc. Again, the problem is NOT with having enough classrooms -- the problem is with paying teachers to teach in those classrooms! <br /><br />Anonymous 9:31 - I will respond to each of your points as noted.<br /><br />1) OK, so why do you think MCAS scores are so high at MM? Is it the teachers/kids/parents? If so, they will do equally well elsewhere. Is it the building? If so, you should be actively pushing to have MM become a lottery only school so that all Amherst kids have a chance to experience this great learning environment. Which is it?<br /><br />2) YES -- of course MM and CF have a higher % of kids on free/reduced lunch ... but my point was that MM has FEWER kids on free/reduced lunch than ANY of the other schools, so is it really fair that we only educate THESE lucky 69 kids at MM, when ALL the other free/reduced lunch kids (350ish) have to go to one of the other schools? The OpEd I responded to suggested that MM was the best school for kids on free/reduced lunch -- so at least we should have a lottery for low income kids to get into this school, right?<br /><br />3) There are currently empty classrooms in our schools -- some of those classrooms have been taken over for extra space (lounge, community room, etc.), but those are rooms which COULD be used as classrooms and HAVE been used as classrooms quite recnetly. Currently at FR, there are 23 classrooms in use. Next year, due to budget cuts, there will be 21 classrooms in use. That is just one example at one school -- there are certainly others. And the superintendent have done EXACTLY what you propose -- have gone to each building, seen the classrooms and programs, and then made the decision about which rooms could indeed be turned into classrooms for use IF MM closed while making sure we could still handle the other programs (which is of course the only responsible thing to do -- and she did it!). The modulars are not considered in ANY of these plans ... but MM has 10 classrooms, and it is projected that only 9 classrooms are needed at MM for next year ... again, the two modulars will NOT be used as classrooms next year at all. <br /><br />What information do you need to know before you can decide whether this is a mistake? Because I can't think of any questions I have -- and the superintendent has already done ALL of the things you suggest must be done before making such a decision.Catherine A. Sandersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03523667921190365891noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6270815429299703055.post-89520472079238287992009-05-18T21:35:00.000-04:002009-05-18T21:35:00.000-04:00My responses:
Anonymous 8:29 - thank you for your...My responses:<br /><br />Anonymous 8:29 - thank you for your support (in the midst of the criticism, it is always good to know there are some who agree!). And yes, I will definitely make the motion to change MM to a lottery if the motion fails.<br /><br />Anonymous 8:43 - there are certainly reasons for and against such a move. But IF it turns out that the enrollment projections are higher than anticipated, this would be an OPTION to consider to alleviate crowding. There are also many (in our district and elsewhere) who believe this would make educational sense, even in the absence of a need to do so, given over-crowding. I know the placement of the 6th grade is an issue under consideration now by the regionalization committee, and I believe it is something that Dr. Rodriguez should carefully consider (perhaps set up a group of parents/teachers to examine the pros/cons). <br /><br />CE - thanks for your post and again, for the support. I agree that the 6 to 8 model is used in MANY districts, and I think could be good for our kids. At least it is something that should be on the table for consideration. And unfortunately, there will be much need to make other tough (grown up) decisions in the months ahead -- regardless of how the MM vote goes.<br /><br />nom de blog - I believe the superintendent has ran numbers of school choice, and believes this is NOT a wise way to go -- if we make a decision to keep MM open by counting on a certain number of spaces, we could get into real trouble if those bodies don't emerge (at precisely the right grades). It is also really difficult to have MM be a choice school since the enrollment year to year is much more fluid than in the other schools (e.g., you don't have a good sense of how many spaces to open up at a given grade since the school has pretty high turn-over). But I do believe the SC will have to do some serious consideration of other things to cut -- although I think needing to cut another 2 million seems unlikely! The FC has stated, and I think appropriately, that they are not inclined to just use reserves to meet budget gaps -- but would be willing to use reserves to help in the transition to a more cost-effective model (such as closing a school). It is NOT saying "close MM and we'll give you money" -- but it is saying find a new sustainable model that is cheaper, and we'll consider giving you money. The other plans that were considered (e.g., pairing the schools, moving to a K to 4, 5-6 school) were MORE expensive! And the FC has made that "deal" in open meetings to all town entities (e.g., libraries, police, etc.). <br /><br />Anonymous 11:23 - this is one of the reasons I stated in my motion in terms of why I put the MS first -- we need to figure out how well this school is working. But I also think the MS might work better if parents/kids had more investment in the school, which they would if they were going to spend another year there. So, it might be a bit of a chicken/egg problem? I don't think there is evidence the 6th graders aren't performing well now -- but I think there is evidence (from other districts) that parents/kids can have more buy in for a three-year than a two-year school, and that could improve the MS experience for all.<br /><br />CE - excellent points ... I am not saying let's move the 6th grade ... I'm saying let's think about the 6th grade, and whether that makes sense. I know Jere Hochman felt that getting the 6th grade to that building was a good idea in part so that students enter the building BEFORE most have hit puberty, so they aren't dealing with changing schools in the midst of major changing bodies ... and I also agree that the 7th grade teachers have a really, really difficult time getting to know and working with kids from 7 different schools, and many different classrooms ... having these kids at least all in the same school for a year could potentially help the 7th/8th grade experience (this is NOT a slam on MS teachers ... it is a recognition that it has got to be really hard to handle so many kids who come together from so many different backgrounds/experiences).<br /><br />Alisa - thanks for your very thoughtful post. I agree with all you said ... and yes, the reality is that next year, we are projecting using 21 classrooms in FR (there are 24 to use), and 16 in CF (there are 19 to use), and 22 in WW (there are 23 to use). So, those 7 classrooms won't be used next year ... and we are projecting having only 9 classrooms in use at MM, meaning 1 MM classroom PLUS the 2 portables are not needed. This is indeed a lot of empty classrooms -- 8 plus 2 portables. And thus, I agree with your analysis that closing MM seems like really the only choice, in the face of the combined stable/declining enrollments AND the massive budget problems. I too worry about how we are going to stomach not only these cuts (closing MM and other cuts to the schools) as well as cuts to libraries, pools, police, LSSE, fire, etc. It is a hard time for all. <br /><br />Rick - I too wish (of course) that the override has passed. But I think the SC and the school leadership now has to demonstrate to the community at large that we are going to make fiscally wise decisions, and that we are going to really be careful about what we do and do not fund (e.g., do we need classes as small as 18 to 20? do we need to stream-line some of our adminstrative staff?). I believe that many in the community have concerns about how the schools have handled their resources (which are, of course, the bulk of the town spending), and whether this perception is accurate or not (like the MS perception!), we need to tackle it directly, head on, in an open and transparent way. For me, closing MM is a clear way to demonstrate that we are indeed going to use resources wisely -- and if that trust is restored in terms of how the schools spend money, there may indeed (eventually) be support for an override.<br /><br />Rick - your scenario scares me! But the reality is, even if we close MM, we are STILL going to have to do other major cuts to just maintain some of what we have (e.g., music, art, world language, small classes, etc.). An override wouldn't make closing MM not the right decision -- it still just doesn't make sense to keep open a school that we do NOT need to educate all the kids in our district at the cost of $700,000 a year. <br /><br />SZA - thanks for your post ... and I totally agree that the MS could be helped by having parents/kids have more investment in a three-year school. I'm glad you think there might be such support for that among teachers/staff at the MS. Obviously we are a LONG way off from pondering a "model" but what I've heard discussed IF this were to happen would be for the 7th/8th to stay the same as now (teams), and for the 6th grade to have a separate "wing" or space in which they really operate like they do now (e.g., with just ONE teacher, like occurs now in all the elementary schools). So, the 6th graders would NOT be on a team, would not switch teachers, etc. (although maybe they would to get language or something)? But that is certainly something that could be worked out -- I didn't mean to imply that it would be "easy" but just that it would be feasible to do IF we had space issues in three elementary schools (and, as you note, there are also reasons to make the move even if there are not space issues). I definitely think this is something our new superintendent should consider.<br /><br />Anonymous 2:39 - I totally admit that MM is a great school -- sorry if I wasn't clear on that. I just think it is NOT a great school BECAUSE of the physical space. I think the MM kids and MM teachers would do very well even in another building. <br /><br />Alisa -- thanks for pointing out the opposite MCAS issue ... I kept thinking that was pretty ironic, when the MCAS are typically a bad word in Amherst!<br /><br />Michael Greenebaum - thank you for your post. Virtually all of the parents of MM kids who have contacted me are either current faculty, administrators, or graduate students at U Mass (including all Op Eds by MM families in last week's Bulletin). I can't imagine it isn't a pretty high proportion, given that U Mass graduate student housing is all zoned to MM, right? The issue about how to look for MM's success, however, is tricky -- either you believe it is the teachers/parents/kids, in which case they really should do equally well elsewhere, or it is the building, in which case in fairness MM should be a lottery school so that all kids could have a chance for experiencing this environment, right? I believe MM has done a great job at creating a very warm culture - and I remain hopeful that the people who have worked so hard to create this could also do so in another building. <br /><br />My interest in a survey of the MS was to see how it is and is not working for all kids, because this is a school that ALL the regional kids go to, and that information thus is very helpful in thinking about improving this school. And we could (and in fact ARE) do a survey of MM ... I just think this is a pretty different point (since I believe all elementary school parents are pretty happy with their own school). What would you expect that I would LEARN from such a survey, and, perhaps more importantly, what would I do with this information (e.g., if I found that MM parents loved the school tremendously, would I think say we must keep the school open, even at the cost of kids in all the other schools AND MM experiencing major cuts?). <br /><br />I agree with your intuition about <br />the benefits of moving the sixth grade to the Middle School -- again, I hope this is something the SC and superintendent will seriously consider next year.<br /><br />You propose some pretty major ideas in terms of cutting $700,000 ... but even what you propose doesn't get us there! Cutting two principals and three assistant principals saves around $300,000ish -- and I'd frankly worry about how well principals could get to know kids (as Nick does so well in MM) and evaluate/mentor/hire teachers and manage discipline, etc. That would be way more than double the work of our current principals -- who in two of the buildings are already handling over 400 kids AND have an assistant principal to help. Again, we would also STILL have to cut another $300 to $400. I am not really understanding your other idea -- "What if all teachers had access to paraprofessionals, so that mentoring, parent meetings, and peer supervision were conducted on the classroom level, not the building level?" What does that mean, and how would it save money?<br /><br />For me, I feel I have enough information and I feel I've heard enough from the community to vote. I certainly don't know how my colleagues feel. What other information do YOU feel we need? <br /><br />AJ - thanks much for your post. I frankly agree with much of what you said. <br /><br />Anonymous 8:10 - I agree with much of what you said -- and definitely think this should be on the table for the upcoming year. <br /><br />Meg - hey, good question ... I THINK it is still in the library, but it might move to the cafeteria (that decision was being debated today). It will be at the HS, so come there and see where the lights are on -- and I'll post something tomorrow if I get a definite answer.Catherine A. Sandersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03523667921190365891noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6270815429299703055.post-76612049388370119642009-05-18T21:31:00.000-04:002009-05-18T21:31:00.000-04:00Perhaps some of Catherine's statements need a clos...Perhaps some of Catherine's statements need a closer look: <br /><br />1) The students of MM come from parents associated with the university and therefore THAT'S why the MCAS scores are so high? Please. Come see the students. Find out where they come from. See what their backgrounds are. You might be surprised that your ASSUMPTIONS are not accurate. Mike Greenbaum is right because he actually worked there. Please take a closer look at our population before making these blanket statements.<br /><br />2) WW, FR have more kids on free/reduced lunch than MM? If you look at the PERCENTAGE of children on free or reduced lunch, which is what Title I funding is based on, which correlates to funding for schools - CF and MM are the ONLY schools in our district that qualify. <br /><br />3) EMPTY CLASSROOMS RIGHT NOW? If you visit our elementary schools, I challenge you to find empty classrooms. They are being used. Where will these programs take place if we have to house MORE classrooms? I don't understand why this wouldn't be explored before deciding that we definitely have enough space. Go to the schools, find out what programs are taking place in each room, then decide where they will go when we fill them with the MM students. (And if we're talking about the modulars at MM - it's kind of hard to fill those two spaces with classrooms in JANUARY (which is when the modulars were completed), after the year is half through and planning for large classes rather than smaller classes already had to be made.)<br /><br />There are so many questions that the only responsible thing is to VISIT schools, investigate in more than a few months the ramifications of closing a school, and make an informed decision, not a mistake.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6270815429299703055.post-61378363752413449622009-05-18T21:11:00.000-04:002009-05-18T21:11:00.000-04:00Thanks Nina!!
MegThanks Nina!!<br /><br />MegMeg Rosanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6270815429299703055.post-80864715590324460692009-05-18T20:57:00.000-04:002009-05-18T20:57:00.000-04:00Meg,
The agenda for the meeting says that it is i...Meg,<br /><br />The agenda for the meeting says that it is in the hslibrary:<br /><br /><A HREF="http://www.arps.org/node/877" REL="nofollow">agenda</A>If they change the location, it will probably be announced on the front page of the arps site.Nina Kochhttp://www.arps.org/users/hs/kochn/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6270815429299703055.post-12038178693424730542009-05-18T20:44:00.000-04:002009-05-18T20:44:00.000-04:00You know I have read and heard over and over that ...You know I have read and heard over and over that we are not using all the available classrooms we have now. If this is the case, why are classes/ lessons being taught in closets, hallways, any other space people can find? <br /><br />I do not understand how these two facts work together. SO MANY people and documents have said over and over that the schools are currently over crowded. This is right now, as we speak. How would putting about 80-100 more children in each school make this work? <br /><br />These numbers and facts do not add up. There are children being taught lessons in closets right now, today, tomorrow. How does that give us enough room???????Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6270815429299703055.post-47874709268002662812009-05-18T20:34:00.000-04:002009-05-18T20:34:00.000-04:00Catherine,
I am wondering which room the School Co...Catherine,<br />I am wondering which room the School Committee meeting will be in tomorrow night. I know they are usually in the library, but wanted to check and see if it has been moved to the cafeteria, or somewhere else.<br /><br />Thanks a bunch,<br />MegMeg Rosanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6270815429299703055.post-12481019741870775442009-05-18T20:10:00.000-04:002009-05-18T20:10:00.000-04:006th graders MUST be moved to the Middle School. It...6th graders MUST be moved to the Middle School. It is crazy that this wasn't done when the 9th graders moved out. I really do not understand why anyone says that 6th graders are better off in elementary schools. They are not at that level anymore. They are developmentally too old, physically WAY too old and really need to be around peers in a higher age group. This will help the MS in more ways than we can count!! There is not one other district which has 6th grade in a regular elementary school (not counting K-8th grade schools) Most Middle Schools start in either 5th or 6th. The Middle School building is being completely underutilized at the moment and really is a waste of money from all of us because of this. That building very comfortably held 3 grades when I was there, AND they were much larger classes!!! <br /><br />I would love to hear any reasons people could possibly come up with that realistically makes more sense for the 6th graders to be in elementary schools still.Long time Amherst residentnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6270815429299703055.post-79197641436613364992009-05-18T19:38:00.000-04:002009-05-18T19:38:00.000-04:00MG
Which of the interests and capabilities of 6th...MG<br /><br />Which of the interests and capabilities of 6th graders are not being presently met by their<br />6th grade teachers in their elementary schools?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6270815429299703055.post-87531155985409713842009-05-18T17:40:00.000-04:002009-05-18T17:40:00.000-04:00I have to disagree that if the override had passed...I have to disagree that if the override had passed in '07, we wouldn't be in this mess now. The override didn't pass, and the next year the administration negotiated a 3 year contract with annual pay raises of 2.5 and then 3.5% (or 6% ) and then 3%. In round numbers, I think that's over a million bucks a year in raises alone. There's no real reason for the schools to bargain hard with the union-- not their money, after all. The Bulletin mentioned in passing that the budget reflected these numbers <I><B>before a contract was even negotiated!</B></I><A HREF="http://www.amherstbulletin.com/story/id/88343/" REL="nofollow">http://www.amherstbulletin.com/story/id/88343/</A>With an override, the proposed budgets simply would have been bigger. Exactly the same fiscal disconnect happened when the SC granted a large raise to our new superintendent in the middle of a financial nightmare. <br /><br />It's been years since I've had a raise, and it's now increasingly difficult just to pay my property taxes (just about the highest in the region, from what I can tell). I've got kids in the schools here, too. There is no way I will I vote for an override, and next time, I will even work to oppose one. Doesn't mean I am anti-school. It means I'm tired of thoughtless spending. <br /><br />Closing Marks Meadow is a (painful) first step to start getting us out of the hole we've dug.AJnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6270815429299703055.post-52164421475075152312009-05-18T15:36:00.000-04:002009-05-18T15:36:00.000-04:00Ms Sanderson suggests that MM students are the chi...Ms Sanderson suggests that MM students are the children of university administrators, faculty and graduate students. I would be surprised if this were the case; it certainly wasn't the case in the 70s and 80s, when most faculty and administrators lived in other school catchment areas and when a great many graduate student parents at MM were from other countries, enriching the school but also providing challenges to the creation of community. <br /><br />I think one must look elsewhere to find the reasons for MM's success, and I am disappointed that Ms Sanderson has not been more curious about how the culture of a school influences the learning that occurs there. I am disappointed that while she now wants to conduct a survey of Middle School parents, she didn't want to do that with MM parents before moving to close the school.<br /><br />On the other hand, I agree with her about moving the sixth grade to the Middle School, based upon the interests and capabilities of early adolescents.<br /><br />As for other ways of cutting $700,000, I would suggest making very deep cuts in the administrative budget- so deep that imaginative reconceptions of the whole enterprise would be required. What would happen if there were two principals for the elementary district and no assistant principals? What if the principal's secretary were reclassified Building Administrator and given responsibility for all non-educational and non-personnel decisions? What if all teachers had access to paraprofessionals, so that mentoring, parent meetings, and peer supervision were conducted on the classroom level, not the building level?<br /><br />Having said all this, I know that districts often face closing a school, even a beloved school. But I hope the School Committee will defer this decision until they have more information and have asked more important questions.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6270815429299703055.post-5675204276844992872009-05-18T15:11:00.000-04:002009-05-18T15:11:00.000-04:00And through the looking glass...Only in Amherst*, ...And through the looking glass...Only in Amherst*, a Town that has repeatedly proclaimed our distaste for MCAS, would we latch onto high MCAS scores as the reason to keep a school open.<br /><br />(*may be a registered trademark, apologies)<br /><br />As a Mark's Meadow parent and major fan since September 1999, I would absolutely feel exactly the same way about Mark's Meadow if it was *not* producing such high MCAS scores.<br /><br />Yes, Mark's Meadow is a terrific, special school; "heartbroken" is not an exaggeration.<br /><br />Yes, the economic situation is not Amherst's fault.<br /><br />And yes, we have to find a way to deal. <br /><br />I assume all elementary families, not just MM families, will be pulling together to pass an override of Prop 2 1/2 this Fall or early in 2010.Alisa V. Brewerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07806428075243362536noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6270815429299703055.post-55081299185442421182009-05-18T14:39:00.000-04:002009-05-18T14:39:00.000-04:00Why is it always shot down that Mark's Meadow is a...Why is it always shot down that Mark's Meadow is a great school? That school produces TOP first and second place MCAS scores IN THE STATE!!!! That is with a high percentage of free and reduced lunch kids and kids speaking multiple languages coming throughout the year. YES this is something ONLY Mark's Meadow does!!! You can not deny this, or say it is just the people who work there. There are MANY factors that make this able to happen, but YOU CAN NOT DENY THE FACT THAT MARK'S MEADOW IS A TOP PERFORMING SCHOOL IN THE STATE!!!!! <br /><br />Saying this is not saying anything negative about the other schools. This is a fact strictly about Mark's Meadow.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6270815429299703055.post-22323511351536468582009-05-18T14:36:00.000-04:002009-05-18T14:36:00.000-04:00Well, there is certainly a lot to chew on here. I...Well, there is certainly a lot to chew on here. I am only going to comment on one thing, the idea of moving the 6th grade to the middle school.<br /><br />I work at the MS and many of us have thought that it would be good to have grades 6-8 here. Right now as a two year school there is less investment all around from kids and families...every year half the kids are new and the other half are leaving. Not much continuity there.<br /><br />I actually do think one of the PR problems we have with parents is that they just had a lovely 6 or 7 year relationship with an elementary school and then they join our all-too-short little two year community. Another factor, I think, is that at the elementary ages kids like to see their parents come into the school, and at the MS ages many kids are mortified at the very thought. I know that is a big generalization, but those of you with 13 year olds could probably corroborate. :)<br /><br />Anyway I do want to question where CS says the MS "could easily handle our 6th graders" and that it "was designed for three grades". Such a transition would be far from "easy" and could create some very significant changes in how we operate. When it last held three grades, instruction was in a traditional junior high model. Kids and teachers moved all around the building, most teachers had to share classrooms. There was more independence but less "belonging".<br /><br />We now operate with a teams model, which most people feel serves middle school age children well.<br />Part of that model has students feeling like they belong to something, a smaller learning community, the team, and an even smaller community, their advisory group. If we have to go back to everyone sharing classroom some of that feeling of "belonging" will be lessened.<br /><br />A big question would be what model to use for the incoming sixth graders. Would they still be taught in the traditional way by one teacher covering various disciplines, or would they also follow the team model, which would ask for increased specialization from their teachers? I'm not sure our building can really accomodate 800 plus students in three grades if they were all following the team model.<br /><br />Anyway I do think the idea of a 6-8school has much merit, and how convenient if creating that becomes a solution to some other problem facing the elementary schools. I would caution, though, against saying it would be an "easy" thing to do.szanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6270815429299703055.post-41483600203139958182009-05-18T14:31:00.000-04:002009-05-18T14:31:00.000-04:00Here is a scenario to think about:
The SC will vo...Here is a scenario to think about:<br /><br />The SC will vote to close MM for the 2010/2011 school year. But then in the fall of 2009, there will be huge developing support for an override to be passed. As a result of that, SC will decide to put MM on hold and wait and see how that develops. An override will pass in the spring of 2010 and when it does pass, MM may well stay open. That of course depends on the size of the override and how much state aid continues to shrink. Maybe it won’t be enough, maybe it will.Rick Hoodhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04347110422224233217noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6270815429299703055.post-59686216980217466102009-05-18T13:55:00.000-04:002009-05-18T13:55:00.000-04:00Responding to one thing CE said: "We could have b...Responding to one thing CE said: "We could have been dealing with this in a more proactive way 3 years ago." <br /><br />We should have passed the override in 2007. That would have fixed everything we are talking about here.<br /><br />I am going to keep reminding people of this because it’s important to understand the history of where this problem came from.<br /><br />One more time: state aid to towns has been cut since 2002. That is the ENTIRE source of the problem – end of story. Had state aid kept up with inflation since 2002, we would be over $14 million better off as of 2006 (source Finance Committee) – today I don’t know what the number would be – but it’s VERY large – way more than we actually need to close the gap. <br /><br />Those of you (not me) that think there is a lot of fat that the school system could cut, then maybe for you this is a good thing – its forcing fat cutting. But I think most of us feel we are well into the bone at this point.<br /><br />People love to say we have a “structural deficit”. Yes we do, but WE CREATED that structure, which includes thinking that 2.5% per year increase in revenue is going to cut it, and it doesn’t.Rick Hoodhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04347110422224233217noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6270815429299703055.post-41136002851665148382009-05-18T13:51:00.000-04:002009-05-18T13:51:00.000-04:00I'd like to focus on this point Catherine made for...I'd like to focus on this point Catherine made for a moment:<br /><br /><I><B>Second, there are now empty classrooms in ALL of the schools. Crocker Farm is currently using 16 classrooms, but there are 19 classrooms in that schools. Similarly, both WW and FR have empty classrooms right now. That is how we are able to handle all the kids from MM in our existing three schools. </B></I>That statement will probably surprise a number of people, since they may have heard that all our elementary school classes are not only <I>not</I> the same across our four schools, but also not all at what we'd consider the "right" size for a particular grade level (remember we are talking Amherst standards here, please no anecdotes about how somebody had 35 kids in their class in 1972 and they learned more than kids today learn:-).<br /><br />Consider the truly awful Senate Ways and Means budget (you know, that Senate budget that's usually *better*, not *worse*?!?), the likelihood of us emerging from the period of low local aid in less than five years (if ever), and the relatively consistent elementary enrollment projections from a variety of sources (some growth but not exponential). <br /><br />If we have <I>elementary classrooms sitting empty</I> somewhere in our elementary schools other than at MM -- where the <I>long-sought</I> portables finally got installed at a time when we could no longer afford to staff them! -- then as much as I adore MM for all the important reasons I and others have stated, and despite how <B>ludicrous</B> it is that we have to close budget gaps by closing a well-performing, well-functioning, levelly enrolled school <br /><br />(as opposed to a school that's performing poorly [not around here], or falling down [not around here], or losing enrollment [like Pelham and Shutesbury]) <br /><br />due to our fellow Commonwealth taxpayers unwillingness to pay for the services they demand (never mind our nations' broken health insurance system), I fail to see how we can sell Town Meeting and/or it's advisory arm, the Finance Committee, on the idea that we have to keep MM open, no matter when we decide to pass an override of Prop 2 1/2. <br /><br /><I><B>AND</B></I> I still don't see how people are going to stomach the painful cuts necessary to get our schools, Town library, and other Town services FY10 budgets to the terribly low levels suggested by the Senate Ways and Means proposed budget and an upcoming <I>*third* </I>round of FY09 cuts.Alisa V. Brewerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07806428075243362536noreply@blogger.com